The Beldam's Origin
by IamDragonFury
Summary: Everyone probably wonders where the notorious Other Mother or Beldam came from, here's my thought on how she may have come to be. Note: The Lamia is a creature from Greek Mythology.


The Beldam's Origin

I was saving this for a flash back in a later fic but I couldn't wait, so i made it into an actual story.

We all know who the Beldam or Other Mother is and we've seen her in action, but who is she really and where did she come from? This is my theory.

Seventy years ago, before her experience with courageous little Coraline, The Beldam was an eight-year-old little girl named Isabella "Bella" Damiro. She was sweet and very different from everyone else; she was a bit of a tomboy, but her parents didn't care, they loved their daughter no matter what.

Her parents worked a lot and had little money, but they still loved her regardless and she loved them as well. Since Christmas was drawing near, Bella's parents had time off so her father took her to the mall to pick out a Christmas present.

She looked looked in the store windows looking for the perfect present, then in one of the windows, she saw it. She ran to look at it, a beautiful music box black in color with gold designs and little silver rose ornament on the inside slowly spinning around while it played pretty music.

"That one daddy." she said "I want that one, nothing else." Her father looked at the music box and saw that it was rather expensive but he would try to figure something out "Okay dear, I'll try."

Christmas night, after a day of spending time together, Bella and her parents came home and she ran to the den. Under the tree lay a single present, she picked it up "Is it my music box?" she asked hopefully.

"Maybe." her father answered, she tore off the wrapping paper and unfortunately found that it was not her dazzling music box, but a smaller, cheaper one, pink in color with a boring ballerina ornament spinning inside.

"It's...not the one." said confused looking up at her father "I'm sorry Bella." said remorsefully "I really tried, but they were sold out."

Bella knew it wasn't his fault, but she felt it was fair; with a blank look she went to her bedroom, threw down the music box, and sat on her bed. "One nice thing." she sighed "is that too much to ask?"

She went to sleep in what she had on, she found no point in changing.

Later that night she was woken by a squeaking sound, she looked over the side of her bed and saw a little mouse staring at.

She immediately saw that something was odd about the mouse, for it had button eyes and in it's mouth it held a little black key with a button shape on top.

It started to run back to her bedroom door, and she felt she had to follow it.

It led her to the little door in the living room, it seemed odd as she thought the door was dorment.

"You want me to go through there?" she asked the mouse as if it could answer back "but it doesn't go anywhere, does it?"

She looked at the door for a long time then unlocked it with the key; beyond the door there was a long peculiar tunnel that stretched to a door on the other side.

Ever curious, Bella crawled through the tunnel to the other door and opened it; she then found herself in a house that looked similar to her own.

"Hello?" she called "is anyone here?" she looked around and saw nothing and no one, then she heard an eerie female voice.

"Welcome child." the voice said; Bella turned and saw a figure standing in the shadows with green reptilian eyes, the figure chimed "come to me Bella, don't be afraid."

Bella nervously approached the figure who eyed her ominously "Look what I have for you." the creature said holding something out to the girl who was hesitant to take it "Go on." it said "take it."

Bella took the object and with a closer look saw it was the music box she had wanted "My music box."

"Keep it's yours." the cryptic being said "in fact, if you stay here you can have whatever you want, do whatever you wants, and make whatever you want."

"Whatever I want?" Bella asked in disbelief "but, what about my parents?"

"Don't worry about them Bella." the being said "besides, they'd be able to afford a lot more without a little girl to take care of." Bella looked down somberly the thought was hurtful, but it was true. "Come Bella there's one tiny thing I need to do."

"What?" Bella asked wondering what she would need to do.

"It's a surprise." the figure said holding a pale green hand out and beckoning the girl with a clawed finger. The creature led Bella to the foyer and brought her to a door beneath the staircase, then she opened the door revealing a gloomy downwards stairwell with stairs made of stone. "Go on." the creature said "we need to do this before you change your mind."

Bella walked down the stairwell with the figure following from behind, it seemed to get colder further down. When she finally made it to the bottom Bella found herself in a dusty sewing room "What is this?" Bella tried to ask but the sweettalking creature quickly hurried her into the room.

"Now Bella if you want to stay here I'll have to do something about those eyes." the being said; she opened a drawer on the sewing table and rummaged around until she pulled out two shiny black buttons.

"You're gonna sew button over my eyes?" Bella asked tensely putting her hands up to the sides of her eyes.

"Don't worry." the presumedly half animal creature assured "you won't feel a thing." She picked Bella up and strapped her to the sewing table "So you don't struggle too much." she explained moving the young girl's black hair away from her eyes. "Perfect" it said "now hold still."

She pressed the button against Bella's eyes; Bella winced as the buttons strapped themselves to her eyes "Not...so...bad." she grunted once the buttons were on.

Bella looked up and was horrified to find that with her new button eyes she could see the creature perfectly, she was a green skinned woman with snakelike body from the waist down "What are you?" Bella wailed "what have you _done _to me?"

"Bella." the reptilian woman hissed "you agreed to stay her, you let me sew the buttons...which means now you are a slave to the Other World and myself." she sneered at the girl as she struggled on the table "I am referred to as...the Lamia, but you will address me as mistress."

"You...tricked...me." Bella said feeling her humanity and humanature slip away. Memories of her home, her parents, and her world got further away from her as her mind was engulfed in a hollow darkness and replaced with evil and malice.

"Now little Bella." the Lamia chuckled "will you do what i say whenever i say it, and never go back on your word?"

Bella, no longer the sweet little girl her parents had brought up, with a doll like smile replied "Of course mistress, I am at your service."

...and so from that moment on Bella was saddled with the title "the Beldam" or "Other Mother" and was required to lure countless children to the Other World, charm them with her motherly act, and keep them there feeding the Other World and its many inhabitants i.e. anything made by the Other Mother or the what the Other World made itself.

Up in her quarters the Lamia placed a little sphere on a pedestal and gazed at the two people inside, which happened to be Bella's old parents. The Lamia claughed wickedly "Welcome to the collection, there will be many more to come."

-The End...

Farfetched I know but it's just my theory; really it was the button eyes that inspired my theory because i wondered how she got them and thought she couldn't have possibly sewed them on herself, who knows?


End file.
